2013-10-13 - The End of Time: Carnival Time - Part 1
The Carnival in North Salem is more than just a few rides. It has an actual tent with Freaks for Display, a little petting zoo that is mostly went to by kids and 'girls that like soft and fuzzy things', there were Carnie games, a stage area where shows of acrobatics and the like are displayed, and tons of Carnie food. Hope learned about it and invited the entire school there, and perhaps she did mention it in passing to Nathaniel. Hope carries a tote with her, which holds one of he energy guns in it just in case. Alright, so she is paranoid! She has valid reason for it! She's dressed on the Gothy side, not exactly the 'in thing' in North Salem. Still... For now, it's just her and Rachel with others joining later. The sun is still out, and the families are out and about. "Umm....Nathaniel should be joining us soon. You, haven't met him yet, have you Rachel?" Rachel shakes her head no. "Nope." she looks around this place, she's dressed nice, Rachel has her mother's fashion sense after all. She looks back to Hope. "So is there a tea cup ride, or one of those cute little boat things we can put you on and get pictures." she teases. "Bet you ten bucks something evil is going to try to eat or kill us here." she glances around. "I'm going to try not to mind scan these people about their poor life decisions, but it's so tempting to get a mental nudge to try college or get their GED." "I think I rather pay the cash to go pet the cute, fuzzy animals," the sarcasm evident in Hope's tone. She then rolls her eyes, "Well, I got one of my guns if they do. I'll protect you Rachel." Yep, she nips her Aunt right back. "Well, it's called free will for a reason Rachel. Life would suck without it." Yep Hope and Ray is such a good team together, sarcasm is a great weapon. Also must catch hope asleep and mental nudge her into wanting to buy a cute puppy, and then film it. She blinks at Hope. "A gun?" she shakes her head. "Who needs a gun, when you have me I'm pretty cute and awesome." she looks around and nods. "Yeah this is the bad side of free will," she shakes her head. "Don't mind me, i think I've been hanging around Emma Frost too much." Nathaniel did hear Hope was interesting going to a carnival, but he had a moment of cognitive dissonance there. He asked to verify, twice, just to make sure. Not that is not good to take off a day now and then, and Hope definitely needs to relax more often. So yes, he came here with time to spare. Not to look to see if there was something evil lurking as much as curiosity for the whole carnival concept. He has not been particularly impressed, but he just spotted Hope and her friend. Day should get better now. "Good afternoon, ladies," he greets. "Yes, miss, I don't want to fight. Don't worry, you can hide behind me," Hope teases Ray. She then shrugs, "Hanging around Emma isn't a bad thing you know." But then Nathaniel is greeting, and a shy smile lights up on Hope's face, "Hey Nathaniel." Her shoulders relax a bit. "So...umm...this is apparently a Carnival. Pretty wild, huh?" She glances about almost absently. "They have cut, fuzzy animals. We aren't allowed to eat them." Rachel Summers smiles at Nathaniel. "Hello." she says with a smile. "Forgive my friend, she's a bit rude." she offers her hand. "Rachel Summers.' she offers. A snort, "I was raised a heathen, didn't you know?" Go Hope, go! She rolls her green eyes. "Anyway! I got some tickets," and she opens her tote, careful not to flash her energy gun, as she pulls them out to show everyone. "You apparently use these to get onto rides." Also goes back to Hope. "Emma can be dangerous, just saying," she pauses. "Also if anything happens, I wont laugh when you get pee pee scared, I wont tell anyone I promise." she just send the info out as a mental email. "Wild? Ah... yes, very," replies Nathaniel, unconvinced but amused. He glances at Rachel and grins, "I am Nathaniel Richards," he shakes her hand firmly. "Hope here, she is probably overwhelmed by the carnival spirit," he tilts his head to the shorter redhead, "and thinking about eating fuzzy animals, are you hungry? They have some no fuzzy foodstuffs here, most of them loaded with carbohydrates of doubtful origin. But they probably taste good." "Well, you did say the food is horrible here, but delicious." She then rolls her eyes, "Rachel Summers," she says. "If it isn't Animaniacs, she apparently doesn't know how to have fun, so thought to drag her out into the real world. Her codename? Hermit." Hope sticks her tongue briefly out at Rachel. "I'm called Psycho, and Laura is What the F$#^. We make an awesome team." Ya, Hope really does like Rachel...Rachel just confuses her right now. "So, how about rides, then food where we can wonders the miracle called 'profit'." Rachel grins and shakes her head. "Oh I guess I'll watch, and I think i'm going to avoid the food here, I don't think anyone has the stomach withstand whatever is living inside it." she smiles and nods. "Hermit?" she shakes her head. "That's a horrible code name." Nathaniel chuckles, "I like your plan, where should we start," he glances around at the rides, but will let Hope decide. After all she is the one that finds the place interesting, Nathaniel was pretty jaded about the whole 'amusement areas' concept even before he left the 40th century. "A codename? Of course, all you people from Xavier's would have one. I guess it is not Hermit, though. And Psycho, hmm?" Nathaniel knows very well Hope goes by Traveler. "I think the whirling one," and she points to the one that spins around with people strapped down while standing up. The it is two large wire cages that whirl around in circles while the base of the two wire cages circles as well. Black pads are what is beneath the person's head to legs to give them cushioning so they aren't pressed directly into the metal grating they are strapped to. Each 'cage' fits about fifteen people. Rachel Summers grins at Nathaniel. "Yeah all the cool kids at Xavier's has nicknames. They call me Rachel." she smirks noting she's not very cool at all. She looks around, trying to be adventurous, honestly if it wasn't Hope's nature she's still be in the library reading. Laura's personality is rubbing off on her, or really that incident with Emma. That has just traumatized her, to her what's the point. She looks at the ride Hope picks. "Yep that looks safe" she takes a look at the cages and gets a little nervous. "You two have fun on that, I'll just watch." "For some reason, I knew you would pick that one," deadpans Nathaniel. "Alright, lets do it," he pats Hope's shoulder and lets her lead on. "Definitely it is better if we eat later," and he is the one wearing neurokinetic armor. Hope rolls her eyes, "Oh, come on Rachel! It's not going to bite you, or spin forever and ever! Live a little. And what is it going to do? You can handle it and save everyone if you wanted to even if it did go bonkers. And I already said, you can hide behind me; so that means you can hold my hand." And Hope actually holds out one of her hands toward Rachel. She may be poking fun at Rachel, but the hand offer is serious. And she wouldn't let go. Yeah put a girl who spent time as a Hound in a cage. This isn't going to be good. She takes a deep breath and doesn't take the hand. "Let's get this over with." she says heading to the line, she's not going to need to hold the little girl's hand. Nathaniel doesn't know Rachel, so he avoids getting involved in the girl's banter. Both are Summers, so he figures they are related, too. Bit awkward. "What would we do without you?" He quips to Hope, "but hey, can I hold your hand, too?" Hope blushes hotly, "Like hell you can. Rachel's cuter anyway." Yep, that's what she quips to Nathaniel. Rachel said she was cute earlier anyway! Hope provides the needed tickets to get on, slipping the rest away and securing the tote. When she goes to get in, she makes sure to adjust the straps so they hold the tote to her so it doesn't bounce about - as that would be bad. She doesn't put it down with the others that people leave behind. The ride isn't real full, just a few people as it is mostly families and many aren't tall enough to ride this ride or won't ride it without their kids. Hope takes a deep breath as she gets secure, and the ride driver checks the secure belts to make sure everyone is strapped in safely. Hope grins, "This is kinda cool. I wonder if this would feel like crashing to Earth?" Weird thought..but hey, the knockout gas made her sleep so she couldn't experience it! Rachel is uneasy, she's grows quieter and quieter as she gets the straps on and such, this isn't her idea of fun. She has a goofy little fake smile, but in her mind she's just trying to find her happy place. "She is so mean to me," complains Nathaniel to no one in particular. He spends a few seconds figuring out how to secure himself to the cage, and a few more making sure Hope is also safely strapped. Rachel's silence makes him wonder, though, "are you alright?" He asks the young woman. "I'm equally mean to everyone except Scott, cause he's the cutest of them all." Hope then whispers toward Rachel, "You are fine...you can TK bubble to protect yourself and rip this ride to shreds if you wanted. Just relax and let..., goooooooo," alright the last word ended up coming out a little long winded cause the ride started. The group picks up speed slowly at first, but then rapidly increases. The air pressure presses one back against the cushions. And Hope? She's making funny faces against the pressure, and her cheeks are expanded out like a chipmunks. Pity no one has a camera! Hope even raises her legs up, bending her knees to press the flat of her soles against the cushions and the air pressure keeps her in place. "Blaaaaaaaagh....." No, she isn't really throwing up, Hope is just making funny sounds as she finds out talking isn't working very well.221 Rachel doesn't say anything, she sorta nods. She keeps her eyes closed and just waits for this mini nightmare to be over. Nathaniel mock-glares at Hope. Briefly, because when the device starts spinning he is too busy enduring the sensations. Then he glances Hope, and starts laughing. Yes, he needs a camera. They should never let live that down. "Raaaacheeeelllll, reeeellllaaaxxxxxxxx........wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Alright, Hope's having fun. She associates ride with ride, not with anything else. She's a little too logical at times, too emotional at others. And after about a minute and half of this, the ride starts to slow down, "Awwwwwww," and Hope drops her legs down so her feet can be under her when gravity takes effect. She then blinks. "I think my stomach heaved a little there." A pause. "It was still fun." Rachel looks over to Hope as the ride slows down. "I'm relax." she says softly. She has that goofy smile. "Yes fun." she says dripping with sarcasm. She looks around and sighs. "Still expecting evil to pop out." "I told you, I got you protected," and Hope gets unstrapped by the ride guy, and goes stumbling forward. Yes...totally protected! And apparently, dizzy! Hopefully someone catches her, or she can just fall down. That works too. Rachel snaps out of her funk for a sec when she see's Hope stumble, she gets all protecting, and catches her. "I got you kiddo." she says with a smile. "Glad you were there protecting me." "Ugh...I'm not used to flying if it's not a jet pack, and that's different. Actually...got a working jet pack by the way, from umm...someone," a supervillain. "Totally took it apart and put it back together, so we can build more for fun." Hope shakes her head and gets her feet under her, "Ugh. That was fun, but the after math is wonky." "You have some odd definitions for fun," grumbles Nathaniel. He has some experience with high-gee maneuvers when flying, but those are under his control and not so much spinning around. "Watching you was amusing, though," he admits. Rachel nods to them. "So now what?" she says looking around curiously. She returns to her quiet state, sliding her hands in her coat pocket and watches the carny folk. "Well, how about one more ride before we eat and drink and try not to throw up on ourselves? I mean, this is what people do for fun, right? We should totally imitate." Hope smirks at that. "If I don't blow something up before that when evvvvvil shows up." Hope then gently elbows Nathaniel, "Don't laugh at me, laugh with me, jerk." She wrinkles her nose cutely at the boy. Nathaniel acks at the elbowing. "This seems to be what most normal people in a small town do for fun, you mean girl," he amends. They don't qualify well for either, do they? "But imitate, lets imitate. I have to agree you could do with more normal and new experiences. And less 'blowing up things'." There shouldn't be anything dangerous in North Salem, but he has not scanned the area. He is not as paranoid nowadays. The boy has yet to learn. Rachel Summers grins at Nathaniel. "Witches." she simply says about dangerous thing in North Salem. "Yankee witches" she tease and walks along with the group. "The only witch I know is Scarlet Witch, so I think we are good for now," and Hope laughs at that. "But if Enchantress shows up, I'll be sure to cry for Thor." As the group wanders about, Hope tugs on Nathaniel's suit/clothes. She points, "Looook." It's the Himalaya. It goes in an oval circle thingy that has little hills, and a tunnel. "That looks fun. What do you think Rachel, more up your alley?" "And those witches are not Yankee," comments Nathaniel. Uh-oh, Hope saw a new ride. "This time I will try to laugh with you," he promises with a smirk. Then to Rachel, "perhaps you should be the one picking rides, Hope is not... hmm, used to these places. I am not from around here either." And he doesn't know about Rachel. Funny how all three time travelers ended up here. Ray looks at the ride, no cages not so bad. She looks to Nate and shrugs. "Aww let's the little girl wants to have fun, we should show her a good time." she teases and lets Hope lead them to the Himalaya. "Ha! Shows you what you know Nathaniel!" But Hope doesn't rat Ray out. Rather, she just gets out the needed tickets, again, careful not to flash her energy handgun as she gives them to the ride guy, and goes to get in. Three people can fit. And Hope pauses as she goes to get in, "Umm...who should get in first?" Considering none have ridden the ride yet, they would have to scientifically decide this, or just say screw it and see where the cards fall on who gets squished the worse. "What do you mean with that?" But Nathaniel assumes Hope is just talking about her profound expertise on carnival rides, because now they need to get in. "You are the one who knows, aren't you?" That is scientific, right? Rachel Summers sits down and looks around, and holds onto the bar. "Yeah we'll if we end up in another dimension on this ride, I'm going to make sure you suffer." she winks at Hope as they hold on. Beast sits down in the seat the row behind the pair. The man large enough that he only one other could ride with him. His image inducer making him look as if he didn't have blue fur and he has a cone of pink cotton candy in one hand. "Highly unlikely, Ms. Summers. There is a greater likelihood of speed and centrifugal force resulting in you being squished by one of your cohorts. That or one of you to spew. I will be most disappointed if one of you spew." Hope turns about, "Dr. McCoy!" Her face lights up. "How are you doing?" And Hope gets into the middle between Aunt and NOT boyfriend. It's complicated anyway! The bars are soon lowered and snapped into place by the ride attendant once everyone is seated. Hope mmms and bouncing a bit, "If I spew, it be on one of you two!" "It is fun. She says." Notes Nathaniel, falling into his seat and realizing Rachel is in the squishy position. Well, didn't Hope mention she was telekinetic? "Wait, Dr. McCoy?" He turns to look at the large man behind. The name is familiar. "Hope," he pokes the redhead lightly. "Introductions, would you?" A roll of her eyes, "Doc, this is Nathaniel Richards. Nathaniel, this is Dr. McCoy. If I went for older men, he would be on the list," totally NOT serious here people. Hope then squeaks when the Himalaya starts to move. She tries to bounce in her seat, but doesn't really have much room to move about. As the ride starts up, "Pleasures all mine." He says eating his cotton candy.. "I am here just like you three to wave my hands in the air, just like I don't care and eat yummy fair food. Wait no... that may be a Hannah Montana song. Ride rides, and chew bubble gum. I'm all out of bubb.... WHahhhhhhhhoooooooooo!" Hank's having fun on the ride. "Bring it!" Rachel returns sliding her phone into her pocket and glances around. "Hi Hank." she grins. The ride starts going 'round and 'round, building up speed with a bit of 'lift' to people on the little 'hills' of the Himalaya, and the sway when it goes about those curves! Hope tries to hold onto the bar as she is bounced around, giggling and laughing as she does. "Sorry, you are a cute magnet!" This to Rachel when Hope can't help when she bumps into her again. Coming to brave the carnival, a few hours in. There have not been a bevy of hidden bodies of clowns then along the back alleys, so perhaps that is an improvement as Laura walks in, trying to nibble on a candy cane and avoid slaughtering young children. Nathaniel is pretty sure McCoy is someone he should know, but the ride is starting and Hope is trying to bounce at his side. He laughs, and then grabs to the bar of the car to try to prevent too much squishing, "you seem really happy today, I had yet to see you like this!" Because she is usually so seriously focused and driven. It is new for him. Rachel glances at Hope and rolls her eyes. "Silly," she winks, as she hols onto this ride. "Weeeee" she tries her best to get into the spirit of all of this. The ride comes to a stop and then starts going in reverse... just as fast. Hank nods, "good to meet you kids. You might be prepared for the centrifical force in reverse. A reversal of polarities should expel the cuteness. Then all shall be at balance. Oh look a piece of candy." Hank takes a bite of his cotton candy. A squeak as it goes backwards, "Ooooh....noooo!" Hope is laughing. "I'm determined to have fun!" She smiles over at Nathaniel, just grinning away. Apparently when Hope does something, she does it whole-heartedly. And today, she wants to spend it happily with her friends and family. Only having her 'not' dad here and Scott would make it even better. It is over? Nathaniel was almost relaxing when the thing starts speed up in the inverse direction. Ack. "Well... damn... you seem to have succeeded!" And Nathaniel seems pleased too, although he is far less demonstrative. Laura continues to sniff around and gaze as the others go over the ride then, and then goes to meld over into the crowd. For the moment, Laura is attempting to avoid some of the clowns over on the lower level then that are entertaining the children. Rachel Summers grins at Nathaniel and chuckles. "I think so." she says, then blinks. "Or not we are going backwards." she sighs, holding onto the bar. "I'd rather go skydiving." or floating, she likes floating. Hope starts giggling almost hysterically at Rachel. "You can fly, but afraid of going backwards on a ride?" She shakes her head, "Live a little!" When the ride does come to a stop, Hope has steady feet this time though she holds onto Nathaniel's arm for a little extra balance when he slides out behind her. "Alright...we totally deserve food. Now...what is the good ol' Doc eating?" Now that they're on the ground, a large looking and overly cheerful clown going along with a gaggle of young children passing by animatedly waves over at Hope as he goes on past her with the children, and then over at Rachel. There's still something creepy about him though. The park the Carnival is set up in his pretty nice, then again, North Salem is upper middle class overall for the town. Still, there is a scent that Laura would catch on the air on the further side of the park, past the play sets that have children playing on them when they are distracted from the carnival. It's over the creek with the stone bridge, toward one of the lodge houses that the boyscouts hold meetings in. It is to the back of that building, sitting atop a metal table with the plastic covers that are popular at parks is a silver armed woman. She has spikes coming off her armor, and has a sword strapped to one hip, and an energy handgun strapped to the other. She wears a helmet with spikes coming off it as well, with only the lower part of her face exposed. She smiles, slowly. "Peek-a-boo, you found me Laura." Her voice sounds deeper than Hope's, the timbre is off, but she smells like her. Laura glances over at her target, and she whirls around then to face the woman. Or whatever she is. "Who are you? State your identity." Laura doesn't quite pop her claws out, there are children about, but the other woman confuses her. Her body is familiar, as is her scent, but it does not quite match. "What are you, and what is your purpose here?" Nathaniel hops out of the contraption happily. Mostly from being out of it. "I think Rachel means there might be more pleasant ways to experience centrifugal forces and wind pressure. On the other hand, we can do this together." And that is more important, at least for him. "That was cotton candy, which is spun sugar. Also, carbohydrates of doubtful origins." Rachel Summers gets out of the ride and nods. "Bingo, this guy knows what I'm talkin' about." she says sliding her hands into her pockets. She shakes her head. "I'm going to pass on the Carny food, there's got to be a resturant around here." Beast comes wondering up with the cotton candy gone. "Corndogs? That can be. Least this in not the state fair of Texas. I heard they have fried butter." He shrugs, "And the Lonestar state shaped fried cheese casserole. In some ways I want to visit. In others I do not." This small area is blocked from view of most of the other side of the park, one would have to really know where they are looking. The woman slides off the metal table, a bit of grinding from the metal armor is heard. Her two arms spread wide, metal gauntlet hands extended out to the sides. "Don't you recognize me?" A low chuckle comes from her before she stops only about three yards from Laura, hands lowering to her hips. "Oops, wrong time period!" Her teeth flash as she grins. "Not that you know me in MINE, since you will be dead. Dead, dead, dead. Along with everyone else. Sad story really. Specially since you killed them." Her eyes are hidden behind white films which are part of the mask. "I would ask what it would felt like, but ah....you wouldn't remember, would you?" Hope mmms, "Corndogs sounds disguising, I mean, are the corn stuffed dogs? I thought only the Chinese ate dogs these days?" She wrinkles her nose, "Fried butter?! Ugh! Alright, I'm interested in the cotton candy though." Yessss, sugar hiiiiigh! "Oh, come on Rachel! At least try a little with me, I'll buy! I saved up for the carnival!" She is familiar, but impossible to precisely tell who. And with this many people around, Laura can't risk a fight or calling for help. She holds her hands up in front of her warily, "Well obviously you wished to meet me, if you traced my location this specifically and wished to isolate me from the others, as well as to jam my commlink." She's not aware for sure, but if she were ambushing something, she would have done the same. Laura circles over the girl warily, "You wanted me here, and now you have my attention. Tell me then why you have gone to such trouble to isolate me then." Rachel Summers shakes her head to Hope. "Nope, not going to get a bug and spend all day tomorrow hunched over the toilet. Not going to happen. " she says happily. "You got me on the rides, take solace in that.' she says. "Corndog is a stick of meat dipped in batter and deep fried." From the area that Laura and the female Stryfe is hidden from view: "Trigger scent," the female Stryfe says. She doesn't bother to turn when Laura circles her. The armored woman stands with confidence and yet ease. As if she has all the time in the world and she knows it. "You keep running, and you will kill them X-23 a.k.a. Laura Kinney. So you have a choice. Are you animal or human?" Laura's eyes flash. Turning almost blood red then. She manages to barely keep control of herself, though her claws snap out with a dual set of *SNIKTS* as they flash, stalking the other armored woman, "That still does not identity you nor your purpose. Are you here to mock and bait me then? Then you have succeeded." Moving like a caged animal ready to lash out against the door. "This way," points Nathaniel, leading Hope to the cotton candy stand. "It is just about an ounce of sugar, so no danger." At least not of sugar high, which Hope does not seem to need right now. "I doubt it is really toxic," he comments to Rachel, "if we can survive so much pizza we can handle this." Beast shrugs, "Rachel, I can assure you. I am a doctor. If your stomach is bothering you tomorrow from food poisoning. I can and will prescribe you medicine." He gestures to one stand, "But stay away from that stand. The funnel cakes aren't any good." When the female Stryfe moves, it is with an elegant, smooth motion of withdrawing her sword and attacking in one single motion. The sword, is a lower quality of what Laura's claws are which means in a long-term battle the sword will give, but...it will take work. "So easy to bait child," the verbal aggressor says. "But in reality, I am here to warn and give you a way to escape if you are brave enough to take it, to grasp your humanity in one hand and wield your beast as a weapon of war in the other. Call me, Chaos Bringer." Her sword is 'at ready', her stance one of a warrior as a wicked grin spreads across her mouth. Meanwhile... "Pooey, carbs can be good for moral," Hope tells Rachel. But she is soon lead away by Nathaniel, "Only and ounce! Maybe I should get three?" A wicked grin from her. Subject Twenty Three does not like being baited. Subject Twenty Three does not like being mocked. But she's also aware that her opponent holds all of the cards in whatever this face off is. If she has not even already experienced it and knows what moves Laura will make. Laura's eyes flash then, "If you are the Chaos Bringer, then where is Unicorn?" So she tries to take a quick page from Jubilee's playbook, and toss out a quick non-sequitir. To try and get her opponent off guard and surprised. Then Laura charges. Slashing. Casually evaded by her adversary. Another swing, just as readily blocked as 'Stryfe' seems to react to each attack Laura makes as if she was a precognitive, the other girl so readily avoiding each move Laura makes then as if moving even before Laura herself had decided on the assault, even running on pure instinct. Rachel Summers grins at Hank. "Yeah and I do believe you on that, but I'm not going to be giving birth to the brood tomorrow, I'm, not hungry anyway, you guys enjoy." she says happily. "Maybe not," replies Nathaniel to Hope, grinning. "Try one first," he suggests. They are bulky, but they weight almost nothing. All air and thin strands of sugar. He asks the vendor for a pair, three if Rachel changes her mind. The high pitched tings and slides of metal against metal is lost within the loud music of the carnival and the cries and screams of those on the rides. "Unicorn? Bloody hell Laura, this isn't some damn movie. This is reality crumbling down before you as you watch your friends stare up at you with dead eyes and you realize YOU were the one that did it!" And each opening the woman could take to wound and nip and even pierce Laura? She doesn't. Each return slash she takes is one she knows Laura will be able to dodge. And when she starts to press her advantage, the woman moves in some of Laura's own fighting moves! "I KNOW you Laura Kinney. I've fought by your side, back-to-back, and for the same goals and dreams. But when the time came, I could not kill you. And so you took your own life," the words growled from the female Stryfe. "I'd say it was unendingly fascinating to watch someone FIND a way to slice off their own head, but honestly? It was just simply disturbing." The sword sings in the air and stops just short of Laura's throat. "So, what will it be? A dog's death, or will you face your failures and defeat them Laura Kinney? Will you be the woman I knew as a child, or the mad dog you fear you will always be?" Her tone is challenging, but she wants to drive home the point. Laura has always...had a choice. Hope asks for the pink one, and soon takes a bite out of it. Her eyes get wide as she crushes it on her tongue, suckles on it, and swallows. "It...melts in your mouth!" Alright, kid likes weird things. But she then says, "I think some fast food places might stay open nearby." She takes just a little bit. A little bit. Each slash takes a little bit more of blood. A little bit more of dignity. A little bit more of Laura's self-respect as she slashes back, still on the defensive as she attacks along, hissing, "The future is not written in stone. Only blood." Which she seems to be giving a lot of as no matter how she moves she can't get a claw on the other woman, 'Stryfe' dancing around her with ease and grace, hissing, "I will give you a chance to prove your words then, but I have had long enough time listening to others who would say one thing and do another. I will let you make you case." Laura is on the defensive now, even as Stryfe seems to dance in and out of her attacks and in and out, not attacking Laura back somehow, just managing to tease her like a butterfly, swinging away like a bee. Beast lets the kids do their own thing and waves bye to them. He though at Rachel's words say, "Brood? Only if you have a funnel cake." He gestures to the funnel cake stand. Then he heads towards the corndog and lemonade stand. Female Stryfe then moves, catching her sword between a set of claws as she twists them out of the way and moves close and personal to Laura as her other hand lashes out to catch Laura's wrist. The woman is almost face to face to Laura this way, and Laura headbutting her like be a BAD idea. "Then wake me up from this nightmare as you protected me from so many others," her words whispered. "Go north to Canada. You cannot do this alone. Take the Summers girls with you, both of them. You will sense your shut-down 'home', you will know when you are close as you go far north," and she gives a general wilderness park area. "Find your trigger scent, and face it. Take control of the beast Laura, before it controls you. Do not let what happened to your mother happen to your friends at Xavier's." The female Stryfe then pushes back, twisting away and stepping even further back. "That is my gift to you, to what we were, and your only hope. And tell the Summers girls that what is slumbering, must be left to lie for now for the time in which it is needed." Rachel Summers smiles following Hank to the stand. "How about a lemonade will that make you happy?" she says. "So you working on anything interesting?" Beast shrugs and stops for Rachel, "You don't have to eat or drink anything here." He says with a shrug, "But yes a lemonade will make me happy and a corn dog." He considers for a moment, "A study into the effects of carnival food on a mutant physiology." Laura's eyes flash over at Stryfe, and she hisses, "Very well. And I take it you will be watching the entire way then?" she holds herself back, resisting the impulse over to attack, but takes a few steps back. She -hates- time travel. But for now, she must tolerate it. Whatever this creature is, it knows some of her deepest secrets, and things that she has only told Logan in his confidence. So for now.. She will play this game. This most dangerous game. "Wait, Brood?" Hope gets his horrified expression as it finally clicks when Beast says it. "That's not funny Rachel." She actually pales a bit. The Brood aren't real comment, Kitty had a run in with them at least though. "And they reproduce by planting eggs in the back of your neck goof, not via food." She shivers in disgust. "No, but what you do now will create waves if you succeed. The choice has always been yours, the power in your hands, in your mind. Don't go without the telepath, because the conditioning is powerful." And then there is a tap on her wrist and her body starts to digitally come apart as she bodyslides away. She will time travel in a different location, less risk of alerting Kang the Conqueror. Rachel Summers smiles at Hope. "There's a documentary called Alien about the Brood you need to watch it." her gaze goes to Hank and smiles. "One lemonade please." but she doesn't say anything about a corn dog. Nathaniel tries his own cotton candy 'cloud' and nods to Hope. "Much better than I expected." Looks like some foodstuffs didn't make it to the 40th century cuisine. "We could look for some place to have dinner, or ask one of the locals." No, he is not paying attention to the sensors of the armor. In fact it is set so only on detection of a very critical even he would be notified. A time jump in front of him would qualify, though, since he is watching for Kang. Other Kangs. Older ones. Laura takes a breath, and then goes to pick up her cell phone to quickly try and dial Doctor McCoy, "Professor, I have just encountered another temporal intruder." Assuming he can hear her trying to dial him up and over on the end of it. "Umm..no thanks, met the REAL Brood, don't want to see rip offs." Hope actually shivers at that memory. That was when she lost Emi...she stops her thoughts there, not wanting to think about that right now. She forces a smile to her face as she looks at Nathaniel. "This is good for now." Beast nods, "One Corndog. One lemonade." He goes to pay for his food. "Yeah but it's more fun to watch a chest burster come out of Bobby's chest than Bill Paxton." Hank frowns, "I think he was in that movie." He pauses as his phone rings and he answers it. "Yeah?" Laura responds over casually in the cell phone, going to set the cell phone to encrypted mode then a moment later, and after making sure that the link is secure, would elaborate, "I encountered what appeared to be a time traveler that passed along a warning." "Now we are talking about the Brood?" Nathaniel does not seem surprised, "they should be extinct within a few decades, the Annihilation Wave will... er, I shouldn't talk about this. Maybe it won't happen." "Yaaaa....," not in Hope's future were the annihilated. They were still around in the...41st or 45th century? Something like that. But then, "Dr. McCoy! Get off the phone! We are supposed to be having fuuuuun here! You aren't a teenager!" Beast sighs, "Laura, what have you been told about prank phone calls and lies." Then he hears Nathaniel and looks at Hope and Rachel. He frowns, "Okay Laura, What am I about to eat with brood eggs in it! What did the time traveler tell you was bad at the Carnival!" Laura walks over towards the group then, listening 'in' on Hank's position on the phone as she searches from them and goes in thier direction, taking a few breaths as she heads in their way. Pulling her jacket over her to cover her blood. Rachel Summers takes her lemonade and takes a drink. 'Not to bad?" she blinks hearing Laura. "Time traveler?" "A time traveler? Danm it," Nathaniel frowns, and looks at his wrist, there the cloth of his jacket seems to flow like black glass, then displaying a series of numbers and strange symbols. Not from any current alphabet if anyone peers. He frowns even more. Hope just groans, "Not again," looking unsettled. So much for a FUN outing! She actually reaches out with her free hand to cling to Nathaniel's arm. She leans her forehead against Nathaniel's shoulder. "Here is your Eeeeevvvvilllll now Rachel." She sticks her tongue out at Ray-Ray, trying to keep a little light-heartedness. "Stop jinxing us." Laura walks along towards the others, and as she manages to locate them, Beast would likely smell her drying blood beneath her outfit. Her words to Hope over are quite calm then. "She said that to prevent disaster we must go up to Canada. I believe she was you." Beast looks at Laura as she walks up. "Ladies and gentleman." He looks at Nathaniel, "Stop that before you get burned for being a witch or something." He gestures to a table away from people, "Over there where we can talk." He frowns, "You sure it wasn't just Puck. I think Logan owes him twenty bucks and wants his money." Rachel Summers looks over to Hope. "Carnivals, evil things happens at Carnivals." she says and chuckles. "Hey if it's an Evil you, then you jinxed us." "It is alright, Dr. McCoy, I am an Avenger. Well, in training." Nathaniel is being careful with the display, it is tiny, it almost looks like a smartphone! "It wasn't me," he points to Hope as he heads for the table. "In fact this teleportation signature looks like the same tech you use." So Laura is right. It was Hope. Hope WISHES! But there is the appearance of Catseye that is nerve wreaking enough. Her stomach drops. She bites at more cotton candy to see if that helps. "I would never be evil!" She grumbles. Well, maybe in Bishop's timeline if he wasn't full of crack. He could have just been plain CRAZY. "Maybe it's Puck." She can hope. "And why Canada?" Hope's eyes then narrow at Nathaniel, "I hate you. And you said NOT to be worried." She kicks him in the shin. Laura shakes her head, "I do not believe it was Puck. He would have been about waist level and he otherwise would likely to have worn a trench coat and gone about trying to flash the clowns." She has read his extensive psychological profile as well as his occasional letters mailed to Logan made out of cut up fashion magazines and sticky tape. "I believe that her directive was to head up to Canada to prevent the seeds of a disaster that according to her would lead to my nonsensical and otherwise useless termination. Given further references, I believe she was referring to some of the Weapon X creation facilities." Nathaniel winces at the kick. "Okay. No. We might have an alternate you trying to alter the timeline. We should worry. And more so because she is not contacting directly with you. But there is no evidence she is acting against you, or having a negative impact in the timeline." Beast nods, "Great... Weapon X. Why can't the time travelers just destroy it themselves." He looks at the time travelers, "Why do you guys always have to be cryptic when you want something done. I mean you're already screwing up the time line. If you want me to stop a Sentinel invasion tell me. If your wanting a slushie from the Seven-eleven... just tell me." Rachel gets quiet, not going to say anything about changing time lines or time travelers. She just going to take a sip from her lemon-aid. 'Sip.' "It...doesn't work that way. I mean, imagine if someone said you had to be at specific time at a specific place to just push a damn red button? What would be your motivating factor to get you there, to move you, to drive you forward? Whatever alterations to the future to be done, has to be done under the own guidance of the individuals in the past otherwise...they are meaningless. They are merely one moment in time for a singular purpose, rather than a building block for more to come." Wait, when did Hope get so philosophical?! Hope steals a look toward Rachel, before glancing away. "Because I would know what questions to ask, what signs to look for to betray the answers. Or I wouldn't stop punching her till I got them." Yeeeeppppers, future Hope smart to stay away from past Hope. Laura shrugs over, "Her instructions were very specific. I was to take 'those Summers girls' along with me. And I will also need to re-purpose one of the Blackbirds for this as it is likely the facility will otherwise be locked against Hope's normal methods of teleportation, so we will have to take a craft they will not be expecting." Nathaniel sighs, taking a seat, and rubbing his shin. Ow. "The time stream is a very complex multi-dimensional construct, Dr. McCoy. It has been compared with a river, or a pond, or even a dragon. And it is all that. It has momentum, there are unavoidable events, there are nexus points, sometimes it seems alive and sentient, and sometimes it can eat you." Beast rolls his eyes at Nathaniel, "I'm not Tony Stark. You don't have to use little words or simple explanations. i am not an extra on Star Trek. I can hold intelligent conversations with Reed Richards. I even have modified time technology. But I am not Doc Brown, so I find this all frustrating. " He eyes Laura, "The Blackbird. Laura are you being truthful? I can smell when you lie." Laura takes a breath, and then closes her eyes up at Beast, and repeats what was explicitly said to her over by Stryfe, who's name was not given then over in as close an exact tone as she could muster. "Go north to Canada. You cannot do this alone. Take the Summers girls with you, both of them. You will sense your shut-down 'home', you will know when you are close as you go far north," and she gives a general wilderness park area. "Find your trigger scent, and face it. Take control of the beast Laura, before it controls you. Do not let what happened to your mother happen to your friends at Xavier - That is my gift to you, to what we were, and your only hope. And tell the Summers girls that what is slumbering, must be left to lie for now for the time in which it is needed." She amends, quietly, "I will not let any others lose themselves as I have. If necessary I will go alone, and according to her message if I do so I will likely die." Rachel, is quiet for a moment, after hearing Hank. It's not Laura to lie and Ray's got an easy way to solve this. She just takes a peek in side Laura's brain. She puts her right hand against her temple and starts scanning. Inside Laura's brain, Rachel would see images of Laura confronting a tall, armored woman that smelled somewhat familiar, wearing a warped, futuristic samurai armor. Who casually taunted her but did not attack her, blocking everything Laura threw her way. Jamming her commlink, casually walking out right when Laura was alone, that moved with a grace and ease, that knew her secrets. T hat tested her with her emotional weaknesses and baited and enraged her but did not put her to the edge, did not push her. That just knew enough buttons to push to enrage the girl and to lure her, but who's words spoke with the truth and warnings of direness. Nathaniel grins to Hank, "alright, but it is a very broad field and it is not fully understood even in the 40th century." It does not seem the right time to explain Hank the theories behind, not time travel, but time-alteration. Theories that, anyway, contradict each other in critical points despite having very solid physics and math sustaining them. "That future Hope is not talking with Hope in person might mean several things. Hope's temper might even be a factor." Maybe punching her future self what was ruined the visitor's timeline! Beast shakes his head, "I'm not saying that Laura. I'm saying the teachers may wish to assist you before just a modified Black bird over to you three and let you cause an international incident. Alpha Flight's already shot down one Black Bird. I don't need them doing it again." "I don't think they can block my tech Laura, but it can draw sensor attention depending on what they have up and running. Still, I can always bodyslide us only so close, and we can steal a truck or something," Hope suggests. She glares at Nathaniel. "Uh-huh, keep talking yourself into the dog house." Laura nods over at Hank, and then considers Hope's suggestion, "Very well. We should transit in a hundred or so kilometers away. At that point we can hijack a truck or gather a sled team to approach outside of their sensor umbrella." Rachel Summers slowly puts her hand down and goes back to drinking the lemonade, before staggering back, light headed. 'Woo, got to remember not to dive to deep in there, I get dizzy." she says. 'So she's not lying, or at least she believes what she saw, could be a trick." she adds. "Just trying to help," mutters Nathaniel. He also has problems with future selves! "Where are we going and what are you looking for exactly?" Looks like he has invited himself in the mission, too. Hope is quiet for a few moments, before she says softly, "How did Catseye get here then?" She holds the paper wrap that the cotton candy is built on, squeezing it flat. It means she failed in the future...to save the heroes. "Wait, what?" She eyes Nathaniel. "Do you look like a girl? Don't make me check, cause that just be awkward. I'd have to ask Dr. McCoy for moral reasons." Laura nods over at the others then, and lets out a sigh, "Yes. We will all have to be cautious. If necessary, I will go over and in alone." S he cocks a brow over at Hope and Rachel, "And I was unaware as well that he was related over to you." Who isn't? "I have a lot of relatives around, if almost 2000 years apart," deadpans Nathaniel. Then looking at the girls, "and you should not go there alone. Particularly not go without backup wherever a time-traveler of dubious motives is telling you to go. If that is not in the X-Men operation manuals, maybe it should added as soon as possible. If they expect three, you should be at least six." Beast shrugs, "I'll speak with Scott about the matter. I'm quite sure he will be willing to offer assistance." Laura shakes her head over at Hank, "In that case it is likely that the strike will be conducted by the full team, in which case such an eventuality will likely be to whatever the target being extricating itself and aborting in the matter before we make contact. A small group has a better chance of penetration." Hope is silent for a bit, before she finally nods, "Alright. Scott's advice would be wise." She promised she would ask him stuff anyway. "We aren't going till then," she states. "So!" She offers some of her pink cotton candy to Laura. "Cotton candy?"